long story—said of a long narrative or account:
- Miss Sally told us a long story about her friends and about her “comingout party.”
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase tall story—(also: tall tale) a story that is difficult to believe:
- Their parents yarned over cups of tea, swapped tall stories and books.
short story—a piece of fiction shorter than a novel:
- The short story of today is one of two kinds—what is called the Magazine Story; and the newer kind which derives from Chekhov.